


Blind dates

by Anarik



Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: Alex is gay, Homophobia, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, M/M, Minor or Implied Julie/Luke
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-25
Updated: 2021-01-25
Packaged: 2021-03-18 08:20:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,354
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28989126
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anarik/pseuds/Anarik
Summary: 5 times Alex went on a blind date, and 1 time he met the boy.
Relationships: Alex Mercer/Willie (Julie and The Phantoms)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 88





	Blind dates

**Author's Note:**

> This story is subject to changes from part 2 on because my betaboy hasn’t come back to me with the notes. But i was too eager.
> 
> Beta: Golden Retriever. Best boy ever 💖

**0**

Alex loves his parents. They’ve always been supportive of him and his dreams, as well as his career path (studying to become a music teacher did not sit very well with his dad, but he was still helping him pay college). Alex also loves his brothers something fierce. They’re all off doing their own thing, starting their own families or studying a new degree or something other; he’s not keeping up with them much, but they’re good. Alex loves his family a lot, he does, it’s just that sometimes it feels like they don’t love him back, at least not the same amount.

When he was little, he used to hide behind his mom’s legs when his brothers were teasing or bullying him, always laughing at him because he was a “momma’s boy” (although if he’s being honest now, Alex thinks that maybe they were jealous because their mom always favorited him); but growing up, and growing distant from them and their parents, made him realize a couple of things on his own. First, when he was 14, he realized that boys were starting to talk about girls in the "isn’t-she-pretty?" type of way, and Alex could – objectively – see it, but he wasn’t really sure how to participate on that conversation.

Second, when a new boy, Luke, joined his class halfway sophomore year, he realized that boys could be pretty too, but he really didn’t feel sure about sharing that one with anyone. He befriended Luke when he discovered that he had a passion for guitars, and Alex told him that he played the drums. Alex has never seen Luke’s eyes shine the way they did in the six years of knowing him ever again.

Third, at 16 years old, Alex realized that he may have had a tiny crush on Luke since he met him, but he was obviously not going to do anything about it because he was straight and straight boys don’t have crushes on other boys. Right? (The fourth thing, he later realized is that he might be gay).

Perhaps discovering himself was a journey full of changes – and if he’s being honest, he doesn’t like change much –, but there was a moment that made him realize that the love his parents had for him was… conditional. One afternoon, after coming back from church, his parents were talking about Juliet, their neighbor, about how her son had recently come out as gay, and how devastated she must have felt. The boy was not living with them anymore, Alex had heard. How awful must have been for her, Alex had heard clearly. " _Well, he’s not our son, he can do and be as gay as he wants as long as it’s not one of ours"_ Alex heard and could not stop hearing.

He didn’t eat dinner that night.

Alex knew what coming out to his parents could do to their relationship. He knew that his mother would cry, that his father would yell or maybe kick him out of the house; he knew that once the words were out of his mouth, there was no going back.

One night, during dinner and while his brothers were visiting, Alex couldn’t take it anymore. They were talking non-stop, rambling about how they wanted grandchildren, about how they wanted them to each find a nice girl and settle after school. Alex had felt his heart beating faster and faster as the words left their mouths, felt a drum on his hears when his brothers laughed, felt his hands trembling and sweating as he tried to grab his glass. Felt the world stop when it broke.

“I’m gay.”

Two little words, said in a soft, afraid tone, and the table was silent.

“No, you’re not,” his father had said, like it had been rehearsed many, many times before, and continued with the conversation as if nothing had happened.

Nobody looked at him as he stood up to grab a swift and the dustpan, nobody checked up on him when he cut his hand picking up the little pieces of glass. Nobody said anything as he started to cry.

Alex loved his parents, but after coming out he realized his parents loved him as long as he was whatever they wanted him to be.

**1**

Alex has gone on dates with a lot of different people because he doesn’t really have a type. He even dated Luke (which was a weird, self-discovery time he doesn’t really want to repeat). Alex has gone on dates with boys who knew they were gay, with boys who were discovering themselves and with boys who didn’t want to label themselves just yet. He’s had boyfriends and partners here and there, but they never lasted more than the six months mark. Alex is starting to think he’ll never find anyone and that he’ll die alone. He’s only 21.

His mother calls him on his birthday as usual, wishes him happy birthday with a strained voice – the one she’s been using since he was 17 –, and then tells him excitedly that she met this beautiful girl down the pier, she was singing with her best friend and she played the piano; she tells him that she’d be perfect for him and " _oh, Alex, don’t you want to meet her?"_

Alex sighs, it’s been 4 years since he came out and his mother still tries to deny it. He’s never gone on a date his family’s set up and he wonders if maybe, just maybe, if he goes on a blind date with a girl, like his mom wants him to, and then says that it didn’t work, she’ll calm down a little bit. Ruffling his hair and massaging his eyes, he lets out:

“Sure, mom, I want to meet her.”

There’s silence on the other line as Alex waits for her answer. There’s a squeal and a " _oh, that’s great, son!_ and _you’ll love her! Her name is Julie, and you should meet her at…"_

And that’s how Alex finds himself at Eats and Beats at 11 a.m., a good two hours after his morning classes have ended, waiting for one Julie. He’s been checking his phone for the past ten minutes, hoping against hope that Julie doesn’t show up. He doesn’t really know how the girl looks, his mom only told him that she had beautiful milk-chocolate skin – Alex immediately reacting to that comment with a discreet grimace –, dark curly hair, and a " _you’ll now when you see her_." Well, Alex doesn’t know if he’s seen her.

11:05 a.m., and no Julie. Alex wonders how long he has to wait until he can say that she didn’t show up. 15 minutes per hour just like his classes? He’s counting how long a “straight date” is supposed to last when someone clears their throat beside him.

“Hi, are you Alexander Mercer?” a girl with "milk chocolate" brown skin and dark, curly hair says. She’s pretty and, for some reason, Alex feels somewhat at ease when she smiles at him. He’s sure he’s seen her somewhere. “I’m Julie Molina.”

“Hi, Julie!” Alex says, offering his hand for her to shake. She looks at him weirdly for a second, but she shakes it, nonetheless, sitting in front of him. “And, _please_ , call me Alex. Alexander makes me feel like I’m being scolded by my mom.”

Julie chuckles and asks him how his day’s been going. They talk for almost 20 minutes about their classes (to Alex's surprise, Julie’s also a Music major) and then they stay quiet for a few seconds, Julie’s happy look turning concerned by the second.

“What is it?”

“I have to tell you something, Alex.”

“Okay…?

“I already like someone else.” She says, rushing then to say, “you seem like a great guy! And you’re very attractive, but you’re not really my type. I’m sorry.”

Alex stays quiet for a couple of seconds, staring at Julie, surprised. He blinks once, twice, and then he chuckles. “Oh, thank god.”

“What?” As the tables have turned, Julie now being the one confused.

“I’m sorry, Julie. I’m gay. I’m only here to appease my mother a little bit.”

“Oh.” She laughs happily and continues, “does your mother not know you’re gay?”

“Oh, she knows. It’s just taking her a bit of adjusting.” He tells her, and that seems to calm her initial scandalized expression. “So, who is this person you like?” She looks at him funnily and Alex chuckles. “I need to know who you’re leaving me for.”

“Do you know Luke Patterson?”

“Been there, done that.”

“He’s like, really good with the guitar and-. I’m sorry, what?” she says with a confused smile.

Alex feels his heart starting to beat faster by the second. Julie doesn’t look upset, but she doesn’t look happy either and Alex wonders if he fucked up.

“I mean!” he tries to explain. “It was a really long time ago, when we were teenagers? He’s my best friend, so of course I know him, you like him?” Alex says, his tone going increasingly higher as he tries to explain his relationship with Luke.

“Alex, calm down,” Julie says, trying not to smile. “Yeah, I like him… we have a couple of classes together, one with Mrs. Harrison?”

“Oh.” Then realization comes. “ _Oh._ You’re _that_ Julie!”

“What do you mean by that?”

“… Nothing.” Alex avoids looking at Julie altogether, focusing on looking at his hands, his coffee, the tabletop, the wall.

“Alexander…” she says, and Alex feels like he’s being scolded by his mom. He looks at her for a split second: her eyebrows are up, her eyes are disbelieving and her mouth is down. Alex groans, he can’t help it.

“Let’s just say that you have a chance with him, okay. That is all I’m gonna say!” He rushes when he notices her opening her mouth.

“Are you sure?” she asks him, softly, and Alex now understands that he doesn’t need to like girls to get why Luke likes Julie.

“Yeah. You’re good. You’ll probably have to ask him out yourself, though. He’s pretty stupid when it comes to something other than his guitar.”

Julie laughs, says that she’s noticed and offers a piece of Luke’s own brand of stupidity during classes. Alex laughs with her and shares some stories of Luke when they were in high school.

When Alex goes back home to grab his other best friend, Reggie, and drag him to have lunch with him, Alex receives a text from his mother asking him how the date went. Alex answers quickly telling her that Julie was very nice, but that she liked someone else, he adds a sad emoji just for fun. He turns off his phone the moment they pass the threshold.

**2**

Alex should have known that accepting to go on one blind date would end up in him being set up by his friends. Luke, Reggie and the new addition to their friend group, Julie and Flynn, decide to set him up with four different people to try and date. And no, he doesn’t get a say in this. Alex has tried to explain how he went on a date with Julie only to please his mother, and that that was it, but none of them really listen to him.

Friday afternoon finds him back in Eats and Beats, sitting on the same booth he was at when he met Julie. This time, Flynn’s the one who set him up with someone. He’s supposed to be one of her acquaintances’ cousin, he’s already graduated and is working as a vet somewhere nearby. Alex has never seen a vet clinic near Sunset Boulevard, but he’ll give the benefit of the doubt to the other man.

Alex’s been starring at the wall for a while when someone sits down in front of him. He turns to look at the man, recognizing him from the pictures Flynn sent him.

“Hi, I’m-.”

“Alex, I know,” the man interrupts him, and Alex raises his eyebrows.

“Okay. And you’re Bobby?”

“No. Trevor. Bobby’s my brother but he couldn’t come. Had more important things to do.”

“Okay?” Alex is starting to get a little upset with the man. He frowns, looks at the time and says: “Look, man, I was waiting to meet Bobby. So, if you can tell him to text me if he wants to meet, that’d be great. I’m gonna go.”

Trevor rolls his eyes at him and murmurs a low “ _whatever”_. Alex wants to punch the guy. He walks up to the counter, orders another coffee to go and walks up to his apartment.

“Hey, Lexy,” Luke greets him from the kitchen. “What happened?”

“Dude didn’t even show up, sent his brother instead to say he had ‘more important things to do’. So, I left.”

“Ugh, dude, that sucks. Go shower and come back in 20 minutes, I’m making pizza.”

“You’re the best.”

“Can you say that to Julie, please?”

Alex laughs at him for a couple of seconds, trying to ignore the pout on Luke’s face. It’s not like he really wanted to go on a date anyway.

**3**

“Hey, bro” Luke says, smiling apologetically.

“Luke?” Alex says confused. “What are you doing here, man?”

“I’m your date!”

Alex has never experienced war flashbacks before, but the time he “dated” Luke comes back with full force. The awkward kisses, the sneaking around, the hand holding and, oh god, the hand jobs.

Luke sits down in front of him, still smiling, and Alex wants to run away from him.

“Dude, you’re my best friend and I love you, but never again.”

Luke laughs, then he seems to catch onto what Alex just said and kicks him under the table. “You’re a dick.”

“You know what they say, you are what you eat.”

“Alexander!”

“Lukas!”

Luke glares at him for a couple of seconds, mumbling “ _my name is Luke”_ before bursting out laughing, making everyone near their vicinity look at them.

“So, why’re you here? I thought you said you were asking someone from your Poetry class?”

“Yeah… so there was a bit of miscommunication with that one.”

“… he thought you were asking him out.”

“He thought I was asking him out.” Luke says with a nod, “and I didn’t want you to keep waiting here alone so I came! Wanna watch a movie?”

“You’re not going to kiss me like last time, right?”

“Nope! I won’t even hold your hand.”

“Then, let’s go.”

**4**

Contrary to popular believe, Alex does have friends outside of his band (he has a band now! How cool is that!?), and yeah, it’s mostly the people who he has classes with but! They’re his friends too and they, somehow, have decided that he needs a boyfriend. Alex is starting to think that maybe, just maybe, his friends a little bit too meddle-y.

Nick, his project partner, says that he knows the perfect guy for him, and Alex is kind of getting tired of hearing that phrase. The problem here is that Nick didn’t tell him any name, didn’t share with him any pictures, he didn’t share anything about the other person and Alex is getting anxious. In past occasions, Flynn, Luke and even his mom had shared a picture, a description or the name of the person he was meeting, just so he could feel a little bit in control of the situation; he even rejected some of the people Julie showed him before she gave up.

Alex has checked the time ten times now and it’s still stuck on 3:45 p.m. His date was supposed to be here fifteen minutes ago, and Alex has not seen anyone come inside the restaurant for about ten minutes now. Alex has taken to count the jars on top of the table – there are five: salt, pepper, toothpicks, hot sauce and something else he doesn’t really want to check out –. When he’s memorized the jars’ order, Alex tries to focus on the stains on the table; there’s one with the shape of a puppy!

His last attempt at grounding himself is the 5 to 1 strategy he read on the internet. He starts by listing the first 5 things he can see, starting by the puppy stain. He then looks at the jars on the table, the window to his left, the waitress walking past him and…

“Reggie!” Alex says, almost yelling. Reggie turns to look at him and frowns when he catches the, probably, frantic look on his face.

“Hey, man!” Reggie says sitting down in front of him, smiling reassuringly. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m supposed to be on a blind date, but I have no idea who this person is, and before you say anything, he’s not here yet.”

“Well, that is the general idea of the blind date, yes.”

“That’s not what I-. Okay.”

“Well, I’m supposed to meet someone here too. My friend Nick set me up with this-.”

“Wait, Nick?” Alex interrupts, starting to feel his blood rush to his face. “Nick Danforth-Evans?”

“Yeah, the very same!” Reggie smiles at him brightly. “Cool dude, you know him?”

“Oh god.”

Alex realizes what’s going on a few seconds before Reggie does, hiding his face on his hands and groaning. He should’ve seen it coming. Nick has been talking for weeks about a new friend he made at the puppy shelter where Reggie volunteers. He should’ve seen it coming from a mile afar.

“Oh.” Reggie says and he sounds a little bit disappointed. “Well, now that we’ve realized we’re both each other’s dates, and there’s no chemistry whatsoever, no offence-.”

“None taken.”

“Wanna grab street dogs?”

“I’m not sure, Reg-.”

“Relax! Street dogs haven’t killed us yet.”

Famous last words.

**5**

After getting out of the hospital for a really bad case of food poisoning, his mom insists on him staying at home a couple of days before going back to school and Alex loves his mom, he really does, but he’s come to associate home to the apartment he shares with Luke and Reggie, and occasionally Julie when she stays. He doesn’t really want to stay with his parents. Managing to escape her hold, Alex promises he’ll go on another date with a girl she picks, and he wonders if it was a whole plot to get him to agree to it after she let him go. Whatever, it doesn’t really matter, and he forgets about it for a couple of weeks until he receives a call from his mother telling him that she found that Carrie Wilson, “ _lovely girl, Alex_ , is single and that he’s going on a date with her, and _please try?”_

“Mom, but Carrie is-.”

“Beautiful, I know, but I think you have a shot.”

“I mean, sure, she’s pretty but she’s also-.”

“Don’t you dare say that she’s out of your league, baby.”

“… That is not what I was going to say.”

“Then it’s settled! You’re going on a date with Carrie!” Alex stops listening when she starts talking about cute, blond grandchildren.

The day of the date, Alex thinks that Carrie’s not going to come to the café. She’s running late and if there’s something he knows about her is that she values time too much. After half an hour, Carrie enters the café, scans rapidly for him, and walks straight to his table, sitting down gracefully as she flips her hair.

“You’re going to help me get together with Flynn.”

“Hello to you too, Carrie. How are you in this fine afternoon?”

“Tired, I just came from a Dirty Candy rehearsal. Alex, I need you to help me, Flynn hates me.”

“Alright, Wilson, but only if you let me rehearse with you guys.”

“Deal.”

 _Oh, yeah, mom, I forgot to tell you. Carrie’s a raging lesbian and she’s been out for a while now. No blond grandchildren for you_.

**+1**

Alex has decided to stop going on blind dates. He won’t even look at the pictures his friends have for him because he’s just not doing that anymore. He hasn’t met a single person who he has spoken more than a sentence to without feeling uncomfortable. He’s just leaving Eats & Beats after signing the band up (Julie and the Phantoms, “ _tell your friends!”_ ) for an Open Mic night. He’s happily answering texts on his group chat when he’s promptly ran over by someone.

The next thing he knows he’s on the floor, his to-go coffee is now all over the sidewalk, his hands burn a little bit, but he’s overall okay. There’s a person lying beside him that moves all too quickly to stand up and say:

“Aw, man, you dinged my board!”

Alex blinks twice while standing up, feeling anger starting to bottle up on his chest.

“ _I_ dinged your board!? Dude, _you_ ran me over! You’re lucky I didn’t-.”

His mind goes blank for a couple of seconds when his eyes land on the man in front of him, adverting his eyes as he tries to _process_ what just happened. The man in front of him is a little shorter than him, and it’s looking at him with raised eyebrows.

“Y-you ran me over.” Alex stammers and mentally kicks himself as the other takes his helmet off, slowly, and flips his hair back, showing him a piercing on his right ear.

_Oh god._

“Sorry. I thought you heard me” he answers and then smiles, and Alex’s heart does summersaults. “I’m Willie, by the way.” Willie offers him his hand and Alex shakes it.

“Alex.”

“So, Alex, what are you doing in Hollywood, man? Taking a picture with that Marilynn girl?” Willie wiggles his eyebrows and clicks his tongue; Alex wants to laugh.

“Uh, no. I was actually signing us up for an Open Mic night at Eats and Beats.”

“Who’s us?” Willie asks with a little pout, bouncing on his feet. Alex thinks he’s cute.

“Oh, my bandmates and me. We’re a new band and we’ve been playing gigs here and there.”

“That’s cool, man. What’s your band’s name?”

“Julie and the Phantoms,” Alex answers and continues after a beat. “Tell your friends.”

Willie smiles and then turns to look past him, frowning. Alex turns around and realizes – again – that his coffee lays on the sidewalk, completely gone. Alex sighs and bends down to grab the cup, finding a nearby trash can to throw it.

“No coffee for me.” Alex murmurs to himself, drying his hands a little bit on his pants.

“I did pancake you, huh?” Willie says smiling and Alex chuckles. “Sorry again, though. Come on, I know the best coffee place, I’ll buy you another one.”

“Really? Uh, okay, yeah. Sure.” Alex answers, trying not to seem too eager.

“Cool! You just gotta keep up.” Willie tells him while putting on his helmet again and starting to skate away.

Alex runs after him not long after and catches up with Willie right before he goes skating into traffic. Willie laughs a little, getting off of his board and grabbing Alex’s wrist to make him cross the street running. A couple of blocks of running later, Willie stops in front of a coffee shop Alex has never seen before: The Hollywood Coffee Club.

“Come on,” Willie says, opening the door for him.

One cup of coffee turns into two, which then turn into three. Alex spends his whole afternoon talking and laughing with Willie, talking about their lives, their dreams, their hobbies. Alex talks about the band, and how he thinks they’ll make it big someday, and Willie promises to go to their next gig at Eats and Beats. Willie tells him that skating is the most freeing thing he’s ever done, that he met Tony Hawk once and signed one of his boards, and that he’s working towards his master’s degree.

Alex learns that Willie is three years older than him, that he’s studying because he’s not really sure what else to do with his life, and well, his dad offered to pay for it. Willie learns that Alex has two brothers, that drums is the most anxiety-relieving thing he’s ever done, and that he’s afraid of graduation.

Once Alex realizes the time – 7:45 p.m. – Willie and he decide to get out of the coffee shop and walk down the pier. Somewhere along the way Willie grabs his hand and links their fingers, and Alex’s head blanks for the second time in the day before continuing with the conversation. Once they reach the beach, Willie tells him that he lives nearby the university and, “would you wanna come watch a movie or something?”

Willie rambles about how the dorms for post-graduate students are individuals and that the dorm is small, but it’s cozy.

“We could watch the movie and order takeout? But it’s okay if you don’t want to!”

“Willie,” Alex interrupts him smiling. “I’d love to.”

Willie smiles again and Alex feels his heart wanting to get out of his ribcage. Once they reach the dorm room, Alex shoots a quick text on the group chat letting his friends know where he is, and also that he’s probably not coming home.

Alex🥁: on a date. See you guys tomorrow.

His phone immediately starts vibrating and he decides to put it on silent, stuff it on his pocket and forget about it until later.

“Hey, Alex!” Willie calls him from the small en suite bathroom. “Do you want pizza or like, Mexican?”

“Pizza’s fine by me.”

“Awesome.”

Alex smiles to himself as Willie gets out and starts calling the pizza place. Willie sits down beside him on the bed, already logging on Netflix, turning to look at him with a soft smile. As he hangs up, Alex decides to be bold and kiss Willie on the cheek, feeling relieved as he gives him the brightest smile he’s ever seen.

Alex’s really glad none of his blind dates worked out, and finally decides to flip off the version his parents decided to create of himself on their heads. He likes this version of him better, the one he is with Willie.


End file.
